. thank you so much for starting your morning with us. much more ahead on cnn saturday morning, which starts right now. >>> good morning, everyone. i'm randi kaye. it's 8:00 am on the east coast, 5:00 am in the west. >>> powerful national rifle association, here's tom foreman. >> hey, randi, nra officials were quiet in the days following the newtown, connecticut, shooting, giving people time to mourn. now they are speaking up and they have a lot to say. despite protesters, the president and public opinion increasingly pushing against the gun lobby, the national rifle association sent a sharp message to its leader, wayne lapierre, no retreat. >> the only thing that stops a bad guy with an a gun is a good guy with a gun. i call on congress today to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation. >> reporter: in a wide-ranging statement, lapierre condemned the violence in connecticut, colorado and other places, but steered the conversation away from guns and gun law. indeed he lambasted officials who want to restric